Captain Tom Paris
by Thunderman88
Summary: Post-Endgame. Tom Paris is happy, until the Borg show up again and he is stuck in a terrible nightmare he could imagine - the command of a ship! But he and his new crew are going to surprise the Borg, their friends and themselves... Please review!
1. Chapter 1

My favorite Star Trek : Voyager character is Tom Paris; I don't know why, but I frankly don't care.

So, one day I asked myself a question : would Mr. Paris make a good captain? I decided to get an answer, and is the story you're (hopefully) going to read.

I don't own any Star Trek characters.

WARNING : I decided to place my story in the 'Shatnerverse', so Captain Kirk is alive and well.

Chapter 1 : Near encounters

"Welcome, Commander Paris, on board of the _Berlin_!"

The voice of Captain Jerram was as warm as his large smile without some teeth, and as hot as his large, sweaty hand. "Thank you, Captain. I apologize for the trouble I'm giving to you!" answered Lieutenant Commander Thomas Eugene Paris, ten years ago one of the most renowned Starfleet Admiral's shame, and now a legendary Starfleet Officer, being one of the crew of the USS _Voyager_ when it was stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Now he was a praised officer with a happy family and a remarkable career.

The smile on Jerram's face widened. "No trouble at all, Commander! It's a honour for the Old Lady to give a passage to a legend like you!" Tom laughed a little. "Legend? That's too much, Captain, And if I am, then I'm still a smaller legend than you!" The Bridge Crew snickered : that was no lie. Everyone in the Fleet knew Harry "Crazy Horse" Jerram, but not for glorious battles or impressive diplomacy. It was just because one day, having been promoted to Captain just five days before, in a training fleet manuevre he accidentally rammed with his ship the Flagship of Admiral Leighton.

Jerram made a hurt face. "Ouch! That hurt me badly!" The trembling of his lips denounced his amusement, so he didn't keep it for long. "Well, I'd love to keep this conversation going, but we've got to depart. I'll see you later, Commander!" "I'm looking forward for that, Captain!" Paris answered hironically, sending the officers in another fit of laughter.

"So, you're telling me that you got to Warp 10, but that made you evolve at an incredible rate?" "Yes, Captain, that's exactly what I'm telling you!" The Bridge was loud with this sceptycal questions, and the calm but bemused answers. The Bridge Crew was relaxing and not losing even a bit of the fun.

But just then, the SCI console beeped urgently. The officer touched the controls, and her expression changed quickly. "Captain, sir... I think we detected a clear sign of a Transwarp conduct!" The fun ceased at once. Transwarp technology meant just one thing : Borg.

Captain Jerram could have been a man with a broken career and no prospectives, but he always knew the right thing to do, for the safety of his crew. "Red Alert! Shields up, get the weapons online!" he shouted. Paris looked with a mixture of apprehension and approval while the Bridge darkened when the red lights started flashing. The Tactical officer said hurriedly : "I detect a Borg vessel. They're preparing to fire, and..." The phrase was cut short by a huge explosion that sent Tom flying and hitting the bulkhead with great pain. He stood on the ground, dazed, for a moment, then he got up, ignoring the aching pain on his left shoulder. The Main Bridge was in ruins. The lifeless body of the Vulcan Commander that served as First Officer furthermore added at the tragedy that was happening before his eyes. Captain Jerram was still on his command chair, his eyes opened , looking at the broken ceiling but not seeing it anymore. Tom instantly went for his carotid, but felt no pulse. He was gone.

Tom felt desperate, but he couldn't give up. The image of B'Elanna and Miral, his wife and daughter, waiting for him at Starbase 7, gave him the decision he needed in that critical moment. He stood in all his stature and, without even realizing it properly, silently assumed command of the ship. "Damage report!" he shouted. The surviving officers, that is the Tactical Officer, the Scientific Officer and the OPS Officer, didn't even object. Anyway, he was the highest-ranking officer on the ship, and thus, Acting Captain. "They hit us before our shields were raised. Decks from 11 to 18 damaged, we have twenty-three deads and many other wounded!" "Get the Borg ship on screen!" Tom shouted above all the confusion. On screen appeared the shape of a Borg probe vessel, identical to that the _Voyager_ met in their five year. Paris clenched his teeth : the _Voyager_ could easily match that ship, but the _Berlin_ was just an old _Excelsior_-class cruiser, not to scrap at once, but surely unable to dispatch the Borg as easily as he had wanted.

"Weapon status?" he asked. The tactical officer answered : "Phasers charged and ready, photon torpedoes on stand-by, sir." "Aim for the shields emitters. And prepare an armed cloclwork photon to be beamed aboard that ship. Let's see if it works again. Fire!" The starship at last fired back at the Borg probe. Tom looked very pleased when the phasers punded hard the enemy shields. "Very well. Keep firing with everything we've got!" The Borg fired again; a cascade of energy surged from under the CONN console, sending the unfortunate screaming officer backwards. Paris didn't even take the time to feel his fear and went to the empty console, touching the navigation controls like a virtuoso his piano. The _Berlin_ narrowly dodged other strafing from the Bord ship and fired with all the forward phasers and torpedo launchers, hitting the Borg ship right at the point. "Multiple direct hits, sir. Their shield are faltering... faltering... they're gone, sir!" Tom didn't lost a second. He yelled : "Beam the torpedo, now!!" The transporter officer beamed the lethal weapon at the co-ordinates Paris had sent before. After a few seconds, multiple explosions ravaged the enemy vessel. Another seconds, and a soundless explosion rocked the Federation ship. The Borg were gone for good.

Tom sighed, and felt stronger than ever the pain in his shoulder. He gazed at the officers around him, and was slightly puzzled when everyone stared at him, waiting for orders. Suddenly feeling embarassed, he ordered : "Cease Red Alert. Give me a final damage report, and start repairs at once!"

"_Stardate 57202 point 00. This is Lieutenant Commander Thomas Eugene Paris, Acting Captain of the _Berlin_ speaking. We have encountered, on the route for Starbase 7, a Borg probe vessel. We managed to destroy the enemy ship, but we suffered considerable damage, and painful losses. Final loss report is thirty-five deads, including Captain Harry Jerram, and sixty-one wounded, including several Staff Officers. As the senior Starfleet Officer on board, I took command of the ship during the battle, but now I am looking forward for arriving at the Starbase to be relieved of command. I could be able to command the ship in emergency circumstances, but I could never be a good commanding officer."_

"ETA for Starbase 7 nine minutes, sir!" said the nervous ensign at the CONN console. Tom managed to hid his snickering; the green officer looked like he could barely touch the controls, judging from his nervousness. "Thank you, Ensign. Lieutenant, please call the Starbase, I'd wish to talk with the senior officer there." "Yes, sir! On screen!" On the screen, the running stars were replaced by the bearded face of Vice-Admiral Frank R. Charleton, Commander of the Seventh Fleet and one of the best Starfleet Admirals. A cunning and imaginative leader in battle, yet his diplomathic skills were as effective as the weapons of his ships. He was a friend of Admiral Paris, Tom's father, and was an old acquaintance of Tom. He grinned and said nonchalantly : "_Berlin_, this is Admiral Charleton speaking. Could you please tell me whos' the one in command? He looks like Tom Paris, but one like him could never command a ship!" Tom rolled his eyes. "I'd chosen not to command this ship, Admiral. But the death of Captain Jerram by the Borg left me with no choice." The smile on the Admiral's face vanished. "Jerram's dead? Damn it. Dock at once, Commander, and come in my office to report. I'll send reparation teams to help the crew. Charleton, out!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is up; if anyone is disorientate, my story is set in year 2381, three years after _Endgame_. The _Voyager_ has been refitted, and his currently under the command of Captain Chakotay. Janeway has been promoted to Admiral and is on Earth. Tuvok is on _Titan_ with Captain Riker. B'Elanna is still Chief Engineer on the _Voyager_. Kim has been assigned to the _Enterprise_ as a replace for Data as OPS Officer. And Tom... well, you already know that part. Characters from other series could make an appearence, sooner or later.

Chapter 2 : Surprises

Tom walked into the Admiral's Ready Room and stood in attention. "Commander Paris, sir, reporting as ordered." Charleton smirked a little. "Why does it seem so wrong to me you doing the part of the respectful officer?" In other occasions, Tom could have taken the bait, but he was still aching from the bruises he'd received in the fight, and he was nervous from his experience. "Sir, with all due respect, can you please cut off with the sarcasm? I'm not in the right mood to appreciate it!" Charleton sighed in surrender. "You're right. I'm sorry. Now, please give me your report."

When Tom finished with his official report, Charleton looked very grim indeed. He bit his lower lip and stood up, folding his arms on his back. He looked at Paris, and he simply said : "You did a good job, Commander. Well done." Tom shrugged. "There's nothing exceptional about defeating a weak probe ship and bringing the ship here." "If you say so, never mind. Now..." A beep from the door interrupted the Admiral, who said : "Come in."

Some people entered the room, people Tom knew well. His father, Admiral Paris, smiled at him : he had been assigned to the Seventh Fleet as Second-in-Command some time ago. Alongside with the refitted _Voyager_, now under command of Captain Chakotay, who gave him a quizzical smirk. "You know each other, so I won't waste any time for presentations. The report of Commander Paris has confirmed our speculations; the Borg are on the move again." Both men looked worried. Chakotay sighed and commented : "We hoped that after the blow we inflicted three years ago they would be calm for some time!" "Unfortunately, our analysis says that they are going to attack at any time from now. Clearly, they hope to catch us still recovering from the losses we suffered against the Dominion. And they quite managed to do it." said Charleton, with a resigned look. A silence ensued, then Admiral Paris spoke up : "What are your orders, sir?" Charleton looked back at him, and everyone recognized the determined fiery look he had in his eyes. "Permanent yellow alert for all the ships, Owen. And I'm going to send a report to Starfleet Command, asking for reinforcements and counter-measures. If they put down their cards, we'll decide how to react."

Tom decided this was the appropriate time to intervene. "Excuse me, Admiral, how long shall I have to wait for a replacement?" Charleton looked thoughtful. "Unfortunately, I'm quite short of experienced officers with enough experience, and they're assigned to other priorities..." He kept thinking, then an idea seemed to come to him. He grinned mischeviously and, staring directly at Chakotay's eyes, asked him softly : "Captain, given your experience with Mr. Paris here on the _Voyager_, and given your experience with the Borg, do you think him qualified to command a starship?"

Tom couldn't believe his ears. He was looking forward to step down from that aging ship, and there was Charleton asking his command officer if he could command a ship. He looked desperately at Chakotay, telling him to answer no. Chakotay looked back at him, and grinned while answering : "He would make a good captain, Admiral!" Charleton looked satisfied and turned to Tom. "Very well, Mr. Paris, given that we're on the verge of a crisis, I'm afraid I have to call upon your experience with drones. I'm giving you a provisional commission as a Commander, and command of the starship USS _Berlin_ NCC-14232, until the crisis is up. Congratulations!" Tom's stunned face made Charleton laugh a little, then he patted him on the shoulder and, after forcing in his frozen hands the PADD containing the orders, he peacefully exited the room.

Tom looked slowly at the PADD, then at Chakotay (who was trying not to laugh), then at his father (who was trying to mantain composure, but was beaming with pride), then he managed to exhale a weak : "Oh, damn it!"

"What the hell I'm gonna do?!" Tom shouted, nearly dropping his raktajino, and not even noticing it. B'Elanna skillfully catchet it just in time, and looked symphatetically at her husband. Luckily, the bar was nearly empty. "Tom, there's nothing you can do. If there were other officers available, you could ask for a replacement, but there is none." "Please! Charleton did it on purpose! What the hell is wrong with him? I've known him since I was twelve years old, but I never imagined he could be such a..." Tom rambled on. "Tom! You're overreacting! He had no other choice; besides, you performed well against the Borg, you are qualified for command, and," At this she smirked, "you do like the idea!" Tom looked speechless; then, he managed to stutter : "How can you think that I like the idea?!" "Three pipes!" she said, matter-of-factly. And that was true : he had started to complain from the very moment he recovered from his surprise, but nonetheless his third golden pipe that marked his new rank, albeit provisional, was already at its place. Tom tried to change the subject : "Well, maybe a tiny part of me finds the idea of commanding a ship charming, but my mind knows that it's all wrong. I've never commanded a ship before! What if..." "Oh, please, Tom, you're acting like a child!" B'Elanna interrupted him. Without leaving him the time to react, she went on : "Have you ever thought that neither Captain Janeway commanded a ship before when she stepped on the _Voyager_? I'd bet some latinum bars that she was as uncertain as you when she assumed command, she just hid it well. It's not very different from having a child. Where we prepped when Miral came? But we still managed to do it. You can't prepare for everything that happens to you, but you can still do your very best!" Tom was astounded. "Since when are you some introspective?" The Half-Klingon shrugged. "Since some helmboy forced me to confront my insecurities and my complexes!" Tom laughed a bit and said : "Very funny. But, do you realize what is going to happen to us? We're gonna be separated by light years, on different ships..." "Tom, we knew something like this could happen, when we decided to remain in Starfleet. And now, although I don't like it, I know there's no other option. But Miral and I will make it." Silence ensued, and Tom looked down at his drink. Then, his wife leaned forward and said jokingly : "Well, do you want to make your ship wait for his captain?"

He could have chosen to beam aboard the ship. But he decided to ask for a shuttlecraft; there was no need to hurry, because the ship had still to beam aboard some supplies and tools, and he wanted to sort out his thoughts. He paced in the restricted space of the shuttle, feeling more nervous than he ever felt.

But his mind always turned to the data he had read so many times that he could sing it under the shower : USS _Berlin_ NCC-14232, _Excelsior_-class heavy cruiser, long 470 meters, 21 decks, 2 point 34 millions of tons of metric mass, crew of 490, maximum warp of 9.2, 7 phaser arrays, 3 photon torpedo launchers with a 225 stock; launched in 2318, at Utopia Planitia Stafleet Yards; refitted in 2337 and 2362.

After that, the names : Lieutenant Commander Manuel Keith, a capable and imaginative Human First Officer but sort of a hot-headed individual; Lieutenant Commander Rhell, a very skilled Bolian Chief Engineer but with a very big mouth; Lieutenant Commander Mateo Fernandez, a Chief of Security stern and reliable but a pessimistic one; Commander Selar, having served on the _Enterprise_-D, a very experienced Chief Medical Officer; Lieutenant Donna Ellison, full of skill as Scientific Officer but more shy than a child; Ensign Jaime Braddox, young but ambitious OPS Officer; and the unfortunate Ensign William Kelly, an Irish Navigation Officer capable but frightened at the idea of serving under one of the best Starfleet pilots.

"Are you nervous, Captain?" the voice of the ensign piloting the shuttlecraft shook him from his thoughts. "Well, just a little bit, Ensign." he answered, trying to act with some self-confidence. The ensign was not a first-mission rookie, because he went on : "You shouldn't have to worry, sir. You already saw the Old Lady, and it's not like taking command of the _Enterprise_, or of something like that..." He pointed at the screen; Tom looked in that direction, and went silent.

The reason for that was a massive starship that looked like it was going at Warp 6 without moving. It was the USS _Valiant_, Flagship of Admiral Charleton, and prototype of the newest starships's class of Starfleet. Long 825 meters, a crew of 1100, state-of-the-art propulsion and tactical systems, it was the most powerful starship of the Federation, the answer to all the threats the Federation had to deal with in recent times. It was an awesome sight.

"Wow... just wow!" Tom breathed. The ensign, hypnotized by the beautiful sight, didn't even answer.

Compared with such a ship, the _Berlin_ looked like a mouse near a giant; its design looked so plain, compared with the curves of the _Valiant_, so obsolete, so old... but Tom felt something inside him that made the old ship something more than the _Valiant_. It was so simple : that was _his_ ship. He found the thought intoxicating, and smiled.

Meanwhile, the shuttlecraft had arrived at the shuttlebay. When the craft stopped and the door opened, Tom went down and akes formally to the nearest officer : "Requesting permission to come aboard." "Granted, sir. Welcome onboard." he answered. Tom went to the turbolift, entered it and simply said : "Bridge." With a swoosh, the turbolift started.

When it stopped, and the door opened, he slowly got off it, inhaling the feeling he proved. He surveyed the bridge with mechanical eyes, as any Captain would do. Near the command chair, there was a tall man with a Command uniform; he looked up and noticed Paris. He then shouted : "Captain on the Bridge!" Everyone snapped to attention, turning towards Tom. He went for the chair and said : "At ease." The tall officer took a step forward. "Lieutenant Commander Keith, sir. Your new First Officer." Tom looked at him : he was reassured by his strong look in the eyes and in his respectful tone, sign of firmness and respect, two of the features a good officer should have. He extended his hand and said with warmth : "I'm glad to know you, Commander. May I have your report?" Keith answered : "We have completed repairs, the crew is all on board, and all supplies have been collected. We are ready to sail!" "Very well." said Tom, sitting slowly in the command chair. He had already sat there, but when he thought he was just being an Acting Captain. Now he was the confirmed captain of that ship, and then he felt all the sensation that sitting on _that_ chair gave to everyone.

"Alright. Engineering, what's the situation?" asked Tom, opening an intercom. The eager voice of Rhell echoed on the bridge : "Warp engines and impulse engines ready, Captain." "Good. Ensign, ask the Starbase for permission to leave!" "Yes, sir. Permission granted, sir!" "Mister Kelly, take us out. One quarter impulse power." The Ensign opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and silently complied. Tom smirked. _He's a good fella. I hate the thought that I'm scaring the light out of him, but he'll have to deal with it!_ He thought to himself. "One-quarter impulse power, sir." The sight of the Starbase became a normal star field. Tom activated the intercom. "To the crew. This is Commander Paris speaking. Our orders are to patrol the Neutral Zone, and to report for any Borg activity there." He noticed how the staff officers looked uneasily when they heard that name. He went on : "It's a risky job, but I'm sure that we can do it, and we can demonstrate that our Old Lady isn't ready yet for the Surplus Depot. Paris out!" He turned towards the helmsman and ordered : "Mr. Kelly, set a course for the Neutral Zone. Warp 7." "Course set and ready, Captain." Tom suddenly felt very strange at giving the order he had previously been the one executing it. He breathed deeply, and said : "Engage!"

From the viewing lounge, Admiral Charleton, togheter with Admiral Paris, looked at the _Berlin_ while it entered Warp. Owen sighed and asked : "Are you sure Tom can do it?" Charleton looked amused. "You're his father, you should not ask me!" At the glare of his longtime friend, he said : "I think Tom will make a good captain. He doesn't realize yet, but he has potential. Think about it just as... a kick in his backside!" Owen snickered, then went serious again and mumbled : "I hope you're right, Frank. Otherwise, who knows what could happen?" Charleton looked absentmindedly at the indifferent stars that shined on the black carpet of space, a sight he couldn't get tired of. "Only time, I guess!"


	3. Chapter 3

Here is the new chapter, sorry if I kept you waiting! Now, brace yourself for a li'l surprise!

Chapter 3 : Adapting

"_Captain's Log, Stardate 57225.1 . We have reached the Neutral Zone, and we are currently patrolling the Sector 096. Until now, there is no sign of Borg activity, but the ship is at permanent yellow alert, and I have ordered to keep the tactical systems in stand-by and ready for activation in case of something happens. The crew has showed some tension, but the ship has been prepared with an efficience that surprised me. Their morale is good, while I must admit that mine is a bit fragile. I've found the various jobs that come togheter with command slightly boring, but at least they've kept me from losing my head right away. But surprisingly I have found my confidence stronger than I expected. Maybe because I acknowledged my responsibilities towards my crew now that I'm on the command chair. But whatever happens, I have to keep them safe, and to bring them home. I just hope Admiral Charleton's trust in me wasn't a dreadful mistake!"_

"The sensor still don't pick up anything unusual, Captain!" said Lieutenant Ellison, with a voice that seemed to say "_I hope I didn't do anything wrong!_". Tom commented : "Very well. Don't lower your guard, if they want to, they are quite capable of taking us by surprise!" He stood up from the chair, he wanted to make a tour of the ship to control everything. "The Bridge is yours, Commander!" "Yes, sir!" said Keith.

He went for Main Engineering, mentally bracing himself for the cascade of words that would fall from Rhell's mouth, when he nearly crashed into an Ensign. "Oh… I'm sorry, sir!" said the Human female, a very young one, she looked like she was barely twenty. "Don't worry, Ensign." Said Tom, but he was busy looking carefully at her. Her manners were quite nervous, she was avoiding his glare and she looked like she was struggling not to run away. "Is there anything wrong, Ensign…?" he asked, and she breathed before replying too hurriedly : "Young, sir! Ensign Felicity Young! And everything's okay, sir!" Tom watched her sternly, and she seemed to shrink under his glare. "Ensign Young, I'm not accusing you, I am merely asking you if you are okay. Because you look like someone who's trying not to escape from danger!" She bit her lower lip, looking very frightened. "Sir… this is my first mission, and we're waiting for the Borg to show up! I know I shouldn't, but I'm very scared! If something bad happens, I might…" "Ensign." Tom's voice interrupted her gently. She looked up to see Tom smiling reassuringly. "You're wrong, you have every reason to be scared. The fact is, you can't permit fear to dictate your acts; fear is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you keep it under control. Everyone on this ship is scared as you are, but everyone is reacting, by doing their jobs as good as they can. And trust me, it's the only thing that works!" She at first looked confused, but as he spoke she seemed to regain some confidence. She looked at him and said : "I understand, sir. I'll do my best!" "I never doubted it! Carry on, ensign!" said Tom, walking away. He was slightly puzzled; he'd heard Captain Janeway say words like that many times before, and he'd always thought that Captains mentally prepared their speechs for the crew. Now he understood that he wouldn't have to bother himself about finding the words. Because the words came in willingly. He grinned, suddenly amused. "Maybe I can make this Captain business!" he remarked, marching on to Engineering.

The bridge was quiet. Everyone was performing his duties with silence and skill. But Tom felt like he just had to move for the static electricity to electrocute him. He sighed, and absentmindedly caressed the command chair's pommels.

A console beeped. It took everyone's best effort to not jump. Tom swirled his head towards the Tactical Officer, which console had put on the music. "Report." His voice was clear but controlled. That of Fernandez was as dark as his humor. "Sir, we are receiving a distress call from a freighter, the _Great Lakes_. They're under attack." "Borg?" asked Tom, bracing for the worst. "No, sir, they can't identify their attackers." He breathed. "Red alert, battlestations. Mr. Kelly, set a course and engage at maximum warp. We have no time to waste!" "Aye, sir!" the Ensign said, too incensed by the emergency to be nervous. The stars on screen were twisted and became long strips of light. "ETA?" "Nineteen minutes and twenty-five seconds, Captain!" Kelly reported. Tom nodded, then leaned against his chair and made the thing captains hated to do : he waited.

Nineteen minutes and twenty-five seconds later, the _Berlin_ went down to impulse power and reached the battlefield. On screen, the bulky freighter, a rectangular design with two clumsy nacelles, was battered by three small spacecrafts. "Lieutenant, identify those ships!" The SCI Officer quickly tapped on her console, then she shook her head. "Identity unknown, Captain. They seemingly are attack crafts, with short range but decent weapons; the sensors read disruptors cannons and photon torpedo launchers." "Sir, the _Great Lakes_ has lost shields. They won't hold on for long!" said Fernandez, emotionlessly. "Hail the crafts, tell them to break off their attack!" The TAC officer tried, then shook his head. "There's no response, sir!" Tom bolted on his feet and sprang on action. "Alright, let's set things right. Mr. Kelly, bring us closer to the freighter, I want to protect her with our shields. Commander, fire to disable, I'd like to have some information about this guys. Everyone, buckle up and spit on your hands!" he exclaimed, joyfully. The _Berlin_ entered the battlefield determinedly; precise phaser fire forced the unknown aliens to break their attack to regroup. Kelly took advantage of that and maneuvered to place the starship upwards the freighter, allowing Fernandez to extend their shields to protect it. Paris knew this way was risky, because the shields would be less efficient, but he was there to protect the freighter, and most assuredly didn't want it to be boarded. He would have time to destroy the enemy later.

The enemy ships regrouped and together attacked the cruiser in a delta-formation. Their disruptor fire shook the Federal shields, but they held nicely. Fernandez reported, calmly : "Shields down at seventy-eight percent. We have scored a direct hit on each enemy ship." "Try to disable their weapons, Commander. A toothless snake can't bit." Ordered Tom. Fernandez didn't even bother to acknowledge, but he fired again the phasers, weakening the enemy's shields to allow the photon torpedoes to pass through. "Their firepower is now reduced to forty percent, sir." Tom rose again and walked towards the screen. "Open a channel, Commander. Let's see if they are willing to talk now!" "You may speak now, sir." Tom took a deep breath and spoke sternly : "This is Commander Paris, of the Federal starship _Berlin_. Your attack has stalled; identify yourselves and power down your tactical systems, and prepare to negotiate a ceasefire!" For some seconds, the only answer was silence. Then, a ragged voice hissed : "You are lucky, we were not prepared to fight Starfleet. But next time, I'll have your ship destroyed! The Kalypsian Order doesn't forget!" Puzzled, Tom opened his mouth to answer back, but the channel was cut down. Then, Ellison reported : "Sir, they are going away… they have gone to warp, sir." Tom looked down to Keith, who looked as baffled as he did, and said : "Kalypsian Order? What the hell is that?" he said. Keith bit his lower lip and shrugged. Tom wanted to press the question, but he had to make sure his mission was accomplished. "Contact the freighter, Commander." On screen, appeared a grey-haired human captain. "This is Commander Paris, of the _Berlin_. We answered your call as soon as we could. Do you need assistance?" "Captain Gérard, of the _Great Lakes_. I wish to thank you for your timely intervention, Commander. Whoever they were, those ships shook a bit my ship. Nothing we can't take care of, however. But thanks for your offer!" "Where do you come from, and from where did those ships came, Captain?" asked Paris, trying to gather as much information as he could. "We sailed from Argyus IV a week ago, and we are going to Andoria. And these aliens came from the same direction they went to run, Commander." Tom nodded. "Very well. If you don't need assistance, you can go on, Captain, I am sure you won't have any problems now!" "I hope so. Thanks, Commander!" The screen resumed his normal status. Tom turned around and asked Ellison : "Lieutenant, make a research about this… Kalypsian Order we heard, and as soon as you have completed it, make your report to Commander Keith. We're maintaining our position, in case those creeps want to have another round. Commander, I'm going to report to Starfleet. The Bridge is yours!" With that, Paris strode towards the Tactical Room. Keith sat on the Command Chair, and after having confirmed to Kelly to maintain actual position, he noticed that the atmosphere now had reached another level. Because one thing was to fight a known enemy, and they knew something about the Borg, but another was fighting an enemy on which you don't know anything.

Two hours later, the senior staff was reunited in the Ready Room. Tom sat down and directly asked the Scientific Officer : "Very well, did you find something, Lieutenant?" "Yes, sir." The woman paused a moment to look down at her PADD, then she went on. "It seems that the Kalypsian Order is the name of the armed forces of a government of the planet Kelvani, in the Klingon-Romulan Neutral Zone, populated by the homonymous humanoid people." "An independent planet there? Is that one of the planets that proclaimed its independence after the Treaty of Kithomer?" asked Keith. Ellison nodded : "Yes, apparently it is just one of the border planets that the Klingon lost during their decline, one of the many non-aligned governments. But that's all we know about it. They kept a low profile in all this time, and there is no sign they went on to become… some space pirates!" "Maybe for some time they limited themselves on raiding Klingon trade routes, which Qo'nos kept silent because they had enough problems to deal with." Suggested Keith, thoughtfully. Doctor Selar confirmed it with her Vulcan logic. "It's logical; but if they are now bold enough to harass even Federal ships, they must feel self-confident." Paris leaned against his chair. "Well, we went here to keep an eye on the Borg, but we found ourselves with another problem. I spoke with Admiral Charleton; he has issued an order concerning civilian starships to avoid this area, and has charged us to investigate this matter. We have to find out the Kelvani and try to find some kind of agreement with them. If not, we are to call for aid. He has a task force ready to intervene." "In other words, we have to go there with an olive branch and talk to the same people we have just fired at!" commented Rhell. In another situation, Tom would have snickered, but now merely shrugged. "Yes, that's about it. It's not like going against a Borg tactical cube, but I'm afraid it's not going to be a cakewalk either. But I want to remember… we are not to fire first. We have to try and talk to them, and just then, if they don't want to talk, we are authorized to engage in combat. Explain the situation to your men, and advise them to stay calm." Everyone nodded seriously, and Tom turned to Kelly. "Mr. Kelly, our information about the precise location of the Kelvani is quite vague, and Admiral Charleton is not willing to ask the Klingon, because they may think we are trying to poke our noses in space close to theirs. So, it's up to you to locate it using the incomplete data Lt. Ellison shall provide you, and your own intuition. It's a difficult job, but I'm sure you'll surprise us!" The Ensign's face lit up with contemporary pride and embarrassment, but Paris knew he would make the task nicely. He was definitely going to help him throw away his low self-esteem, or to kill him trying. He stood up. "Very well. Dismissed."

* * *

So, Tom expected to face the Borg, but now he's gonna face an unknown warrior alien race. The problem is, he's gotta experience in fighting Borg, but he's not a specialist in dealing with bloodthirsty unknown aliens. Is he gonna make it without blowing up the ship? (ha-ha!)

Please review! And I thank who already did!

16/12/10 - Added some lines and corrected a few mistakes!


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